HOBART : Trinidad and Tobago is celebrating reaching its first-ever World Cup football finals but there was no cheer in West Indies' Test match against Australia here on Thursday.

Thousands danced in the streets and brought traffic to a standstill in Port-of-Spain on Wednesday.

But the West Indies' Australian tour lurched to a new low at Bellerive Oval when it was removed for 149 off 68.3 overs after winning the toss — losing the last seven wickets for 30 off 18.5 overs.

It was the lowest innings total scored in a Bellerive Test, under-cutting New Zealand's 161 here in 1993.

Another collapse

The tourists also suffered innings collapses in the first Test in Brisbane — 8-76 in the first innings and 8-44 in the second. That match only lasted four days after the Australians shot the visitors out for 129 off 49 overs on their way to a crushing 379-run victory.

And given the plummeting morale in the tourists' ranks, another lopsided result is on the cards. The Australians made a bright and confident start and were 60 without loss at the close, with Matthew Hayden not out 31 and Mike Hussey on 26.

Glenn McGrath captured four for 31 off 23 overs and leg-spinner Stuart MacGill and speedstar Brett Lee took three wickets each as the West Indians capitulated.

McGrath removed Ramnaresh Sarwan (2), Chris Gayle (56), Marlon Samuels (5) and Fidel Edwards (0) to take his career Test tally to 529 wickets as world record holder Shane Warne went wicketless.

MacGill delivers

MacGill, preferred to left-arm seamer Nathan Bracken in the team, yet again justified his selection with three for 18 off 11 overs and now has 172 Test wickets. Lee chipped in with three for 32, including the prized wicket of Brian Lara.

Lara's dismissal looked a touch dubious when Lee, bowling around the wicket, hit his back ankle for an lbw shout. Replays suggested the ball may have missed leg-stump.

Coming into the second test, Lara had scored 5, 36, 30 and 14 in four previous innings for the World XI and the West Indies in the past month.

McGrath said Lara and the rest of top order needs to score if the West Indies are going to put up a competitive total.

"Their strength definitely lies in their top-order batting, they need to score runs to allow the West Indies to have a chance, to allow their bowlers to bowl at something," said McGrath.

Gayle, who returned to the crease after retiring after having to retire injured on 18 in the first hour of play when he suffered from an irregular heartbeat, put on 56 for the fourth wicket before MacGill had Chanderpaul caught at short-leg by debutant Brad Hodge in only his second over.

Gayle succumbed in the next over when he was deceived by McGrath's slower ball and was lbw.

He later said he would undergo minor surgery at the end of the three-Test series to correct the problem.

"It's a thing that's been happening over the years," he said. "It's like an irregular heartbeat . . . you start to perspire a lot, (your heart) tends to race a bit harder than normal.

"But it's nothing to worry about and after this series I'll get it over with then, just take it from there."

Slow start

The tourists had lost the wickets of Devon Smith (4) and Sarwan (2) in the morning session and crawled to lunch at 49 for two off 26 overs.

McGrath's opening spell lasted 11 overs and Lee's nine overs as skipper Ricky Ponting ratcheted up the pressure on the touring batsmen.

Smith was bowled by Lee and Sarwan was out to a catch behind off McGrath.

The only Australian bowler to struggle was Warne (0-48 off 11 overs), who had an off day and was clouted for two big sixes by Gayle.

Warne suffered from back pain this week and had been doubtful to play before satisfying medical staff of his fitness on match morning. — Agencies

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